


serendipity

by razzledazzle27



Series: kidge prompts that are supposed to be short [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternative Universe - Monarchy, F/M, coleen what the fuck, griffin u hoe, lmao keith is in denial for a good two seconds and then "yeah okay she's a fucking goddess", monarch!pidge, soldier!Keith, wtf is this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-29 11:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16742836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/razzledazzle27/pseuds/razzledazzle27
Summary: "I think you should taste this for me." She said casually, holding her fork out, the flowery cake now impaled on it. Keith's eyes widened. I'm sorry, what?" Katie smiled. "What, you'd rather your Empress be poisoned?" He shook his head vigorously. "Then try it."orthe one that sat on my laptop for months before i finally posted it





	serendipity

**Author's Note:**

> idk why i wrote this but it was fun so meh
> 
> Prompt: A monarch and their guard

Dawn cast its dim light over the kingdom. Not a villager, soldier, or royal staff member was awake. Everything was quiet.

She found that boring.

The monarch slumped over the balcony, looking anything but noble. She found that when she was alone, she could act as though she was back in the village as a younger girl. She sighed, remembering her old home with distaste.

Her family hadn't been very rich at first, but then her mother just happened to let it slip that she was apparently heir to the throne of the kingdom just after the old emperor, her father, passed on.

Her mother was required to take over as Empress, but after only a year, she was assassinated. Her child didn't cry.

So here the young child sat, a commoner in queen's clothes, trying her best to rule her kingdom well.

A knock sounded at her door. "Empress Katie?" Katie sighed. Even her name wasn't queenlike. "Come in," she mumbled, straightening herself.

Katie's handmaidens, Allura and Romelle, burst in, looking apprehensive. Their Empress arched an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You two look worried."

Romelle bristled. "We know that we're not supposed to wake you this early, but with all the rebellions going on..." Allura stepped up. "We thought it'd be safer to come a little earlier than usual. We're worried about you, Pidge."

Pidge, the Empress, smiled slightly. When she first became Empress, she asked that when they weren't in public or anything, her handmaids could address her using her childhood nickname.

She liked it a lot more than Katie. It sounded casual. Like her staff was her family and friends. Romelle nodded. "Speaking of security boosts, all the staff agrees that you should have escorts all around the palace, to make sure you won't be attacked."

Pidge frowned. "What? I won't need escorts, I'll be fine." Allura gave her a firm look as she began to make Pidge's bed. "Perhaps, but it's only to keep you safe. The rebellions are growing each day, Katie."

Pidge sighed. "So what? Let them rebel, it's not like it'll get rid of the castle's moat," "I know but—" "or its highly trained guard," "Your Highness." "or its walls," " _Katie_." "or—"  _"PIDGE!"_

Pidge shut up almost immediately. Allura was someone you didn't want mad. She was glaring at the Empress, holding a pillow. Romelle looked scared of her fellow handmaid.

"It's just a precaution. For  _your_  safety." Pidge held her hands up. "Okay, okay." Allura nodded briskly and turned back to the bed.

Romelle led Pidge out to the great hall, where she would eat her breakfast. Alone. Or, so she thought. For some reason, her staff loved to decide things without telling Pidge.

Romelle, without looking up from her checklist, said the most important and comforting thing Pidge had heard in all her experience as a monarch. "Oh, yes, you'll also eat with someone."

"WHAT?" Pidge must've misheard. She always ate alone; she wasn't allowed to be "disturbed" by anyone at the table, when really, Pidge would love to have some company. Romelle glanced up at her, eyebrow arched slightly. "Yep. It's another safety precaution. They won't be eating with you, however. Just at the table."

Pidge almost protested. What was the point of having someone there if they weren't allowed to eat with her? But, the same as always, she figured her staff knew best and followed Romelle into the hall.

Oh. Oh no. Not him. Anyone but him. Pidge impulsively ducked behind Romelle. Honestly. Literally, she would've taken anyone else. But nope. Him.

The one guard Pidge always tried her best to avoid was innocently sitting at the grand table, staring up at the art on the ceiling. Pidge groaned.  _Why him?_

You're probably wondering why she acted this way. Now, when I tell you, try to act surprised. The reason Pidge tried to stay away from this guard was that she found him quite handsome. Pidge had no clue how to handle feelings of attraction; back in the village she just drowned them out with angst, but now, she was an Empress.

Romelle looked surprised at her. "What? What's wrong?" She genuinely couldn't guess. "Are you alright, Katie?" Pidge shook her head and straightened herself. "Nothing," she said, sounding way calmer than she felt. "See you after breakfast."

Romelle arched an eyebrow, but ultimately walked away to join Allura and the rest of the staff for their own little meal in the kitchen. Pidge mustered up a false sense of confidence and strode into the hall.

~~~

Keith usually tried his best to ignore the other guards. He found that in their own way, each rank of guards were literally the most annoying people on the planet.

The sentries, while alert, were terrible flirts. They were always trying to hook up with the handmaids, compliment them on less than complimentary things, and even stopped them while the girls were trying to get water or something, and they were  _on duty._

The scouts, while attentive, were know-it-alls. They were the only rank of guards allowed to leave the castle and patrol the villages, and because of this, they were incredibly snooty, knowing that they were the only ones that knew what was going on in the villages.

"The revolts are getting worse, oh, it's terrible. I had to break up a protest that was taking place on main street. You had better be ready to protect the Empress." Keith recalled overhearing James Griffin tell Ryan Kinkade.

Then there were the Empress' bodyguards. Oh, God, were they annoying. There was literally nothing good about them. If Keith were to describe them in one word, it would be perverted. The Empress was what? 18? Around his age. She needed these men to  _protect_  her, but all these 30-year-olds did talk about how hot the Empress was. They even had the audacity to gossip that she admired someone in the guard. Honestly, Keith found it absolutely disgusting and usually took no part in _those_ conversations.

But, Keith had to admit the Empress was kind of cute. Scratch that, she was pretty, Keith supposed.  _Who the fuck do you think you're kidding, Kogane?_ She was downright beautiful. But everyone in the guard thought so; it wasn't like Keith had a strange opinion. But he did like to catch glimpses of her on her terrace, staring out onto the kingdom. Keith had even seen her earlier, looking dissatisfied. He figured that someone who ruled over a kingdom of rebellion would be a bit upsetting.

Because of his apparently massive crush on his monarch, Keith didn't expect to be picked by the general to guard the Empress while she ate. So, you can imagine the surprise that Keith felt when Colonel Iverson yelled out Keith's name for meal-guarding. Perfectly understandable to fall out of your chair and get laughed at by Lance, right?

The only downside Keith saw to his new task was the attention. Last week, before he'd even started, Keith was attempting to patrol the halls like he normally did (once he'd glimpsed the Empress walking with her handmaids, but she saw him and quickly turned the other way), but Griffin stopped him and asked that he take mental notes on how the Empress ate. _What the everliving fuck._ People were congratulating him on his "catch." Even his roommates, Lance and Hunk, wouldn't shut up about it.

So here Keith, the soldier, sat, at the table of the great hall, waiting for the Empress to come in for her breakfast. He had never really seen her up close. He didn't know what she was like. Instead of worrying, Keith gazed up at the amazing paintings that decorated the ceiling of the hall. Eventually, the door opened. Keith's eyes flicked to the entrance, where he saw the handmaid one specific scout (Yeah, okay, it's Griffin) wouldn't give up on, Romelle, and the Empress.

She flustered for some reason and stepped behind Romelle. They exchanged hurried words, then Romelle left the hall. Keith inhaled deeply as the Empress approached him.

~~~

_Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit..._ Pidge walked up to Keith, preparing herself to greet him.  _Don't fuck this up, Katie._ Keith looked up and smiled at her.  _Goddamnit._ "Um, hi. I'm...I'm Keith." the guard mumbled. Of course, Pidge already knew that. She heard herself saying something like:"Nice to meet you, Keith! I'm Katie." Keith's cheeks flushed but he nodded. Pidge felt her ears get warm.  _How did I say that so smoothly?_

Pidge took her seat, suddenly feeling very in control of the situation. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until the food was brought out. Pidge stared at her plate, slightly disappointed that the kitchen staff hadn't changed the meal at all. However, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Keith eyeing her pancake. Slowly, she smirked. An idea was forming.

~~~

"I think you should taste this for me." She said casually, holding her fork out, the flowery cake now impaled on it. Keith's eyes widened. I'm sorry, what?" Katie smiled. "What, you'd rather your Empress be poisoned?" He shook his head vigorously. "Then try it." He hesitantly relented, and Katie fed the pancake to him.

Oh my god. _Oh my god._ Keith had never tasted something so delicious. The cake melted in his mouth. The flavour was perfect. It took every ounce of his being not to take a second bite.

A small part of him wondered if the pancake really was poisoned. He decided not to think about that. Katie grinned at him, lacing her fingers together. "How is it?" Keith swallowed and nodded, careful not to drop honorifics. "It's not poisoned, Your Highness." Her smile widened. "Good. I would hate to lose you." She patted his hand delicately. Keith nearly choked on literally nothing. The voice in the back of his head, which sounded oddly like Lance sometimes, sighed.  _Why are you like this?_

Katie didn't stop smiling. "What about this? This looks like venom could be stirred in there easily, don't you think?" She said, gesturing to her porridge. Keith shrugged, but his mouth was watering at the buttery food. "If it would make you feel safer, Your Majesty." Katie nodded, a satisfied smirk settled on her face. "Yes, I think it would." She scooped up some of the porridge and gave it to him, again off her own spoon.

The porridge was just as delicious as the pancake. They continued this cycle, where Katie fed Keith her food and Keith would tell her if it was poisonous or not, until almost all of the food on her plate was gone. She tried to feed him some of her biscuits, but Keith declined.

"I couldn't, Your Highness. You've barely eaten anything. Forgive me for saying so, but it's clear the food isn't poisoned. I-I'm not supposed to..." Katie half-smiled. "I know, I know, I'm supposed to have been eating this whole time. But..."

The Empress seemed to be searching for an excuse, which perplexed Keith. She looked down then looked up again. "I saw how you reacted to the first pancake. It was like you'd never eaten something so appetizing in your life. I wanted to give you just one meal of delicious food. Not like the glop they feed you poor soldiers." She wrinkled her nose. "I've got to change that. In any event, I really wanted this meal for you, not for me. Besides, it's not like I've never eaten this before."

She smiled broadly at him, and Keith had to stifle a blush. "Thank you, Your Highness." Katie stood up and brushed crumbs off her dress, grumbling about how much she'd prefer to wear peasant clothes. She gazed at Keith thoughtfully, then without warning, bent to quickly kiss his forehead. "Call me Pidge." She said once she pulled away. Keith's face was incredibly red by now, he was sure of it. Pidge winked at him, then left him sitting there, alone with his thoughts, staring at the ceiling.

 


End file.
